Tafsir

Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them

Allah says to His Messenger , encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control.وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ(And (remember) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind..") Mujahid, `Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "This means, He protected you from them."وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ(And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said:وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ(And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) "This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey (Al-Isra').وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِى القُرْءَانِand (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur a0n.

refers to the Tree of Zaqqum." This was also recorded by Ahmad, `Abdur-Razzaq and others. It was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas. It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra' by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others. We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra' at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah. We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says:إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً(but a trial), meaning a test. As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum.

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, "Bring us some dates and butter," and he started eating them and saying, "Let us have some Zaqqum, we don't know any other Zaqqum but this." This was narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others. Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra', also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum.وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ(We make them afraid) meaning, `We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.'فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلاَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا(but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.) means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.

Commentary

The word fitnah' (فِتنَہ) appearing in verse 60: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّ‌ؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَ‌يْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ (And We showed you the scene [ in the Night of Ascent - al-Mi` raj ] only to make it a test for the people) is used in the Arabic language to convey many different meanings. It could mean falling into error and going astray, or trial or test or some disorder or upheaval as well. At this place, the probability of all these meanings exists. Early Tafsir authorities - Sayyidah ` A'ishah, Sayyidna Mu` awiyah, Hasan, Mujahid and others - have taken fitnah' as carrying the last sense given above. They have said that this fitnah' was that of apostasy (Irtidad) which relates to the time when the Holy Prophet ﷺ told people about Mi` raj, how he went on his nocturnal journey to Baitul-Maqdis, to the heavens from there and his return to Makkah al-Mukarramah before dawn. There were many neo-Muslims who had yet to become staunch in their faith fell into the error of belying his statement and turned apostates.

(Qurtubi)It also stands proved from this event that the word رُّ‌ؤْيَا (ru'ya) is though also used in the Arabic language in the sense of dream but, at this place, what is being recounted is no matter of some dream. Had that been the case, there was no reason why people would become apostates. Dreams are dreams. Everyone can see such dreams. In fact, the purpose of employing the word: رُّ‌ؤْيَا (ru'ya) at this place is to show that the marvel was witnessed while awake. While commenting on this verse, some commentators have interpreted it to be referring to other events too besides the event of Mi` raj. But, they do not apply here as a whole. Therefore, the majority of commentators have declared the event of Mi` raj alone as the relevant subject of this verse. (As described in detail by al-Qurtubi)

واذكر -أيها الرسول- حين قلنا لك: إن ربك أحاط بالناس علمًا وقدرة. وما جعلنا الرؤيا التي أريناكها عِيانًا ليلة الإسراء والمعراج من عجائب المخلوقات إلا اختبارًا للناس؛ ليتميز كافرهم من مؤمنهم، وما جعلنا شجرة الزقوم الملعونة التي ذكرت في القرآن إلا ابتلاء للناس. ونخوِّف المشركين بأنواع العذاب والآيات، ولا يزيدهم التخويف إلا تماديًا في الكفر والضلال.

يقول تعالى لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم محرضا له على إبلاغ رسالته ومخبرا له بأنه قد عصمه من الناس فإنه القادر عليهم وهم في قبضته وتحت قهره وغلبتهقال مجاهد وعروة بن الزبير والحسن وقتادة وغيرهم في قوله : ( وإذ قلنا لك إن ربك أحاط بالناس ) أي عصمك منهموقوله : ( وما جعلنا الرؤيا التي أريناك إلا فتنة للناس ) قال البخاري حدثنا علي بن عبد الله حدثنا سفيان عن عمرو عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس ( وما جعلنا الرؤيا التي أريناك إلا فتنة للناس ) قال هي رؤيا عين أريها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة أسري به ( والشجرة الملعونة في القرآن ) شجرة الزقوم .وكذا رواه أحمد وعبد الرزاق وغيرهما ، عن سفيان بن عيينة به ، وكذا رواه العوفي عن ابن عباس وهكذا فسر ذلك بليلة الإسراء مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير والحسن ومسروق وإبراهيم وقتادة وعبد الرحمن بن زيد وغير واحد وقد تقدمت أحاديث الإسراء في أول السورة مستقصاة ولله الحمد والمنة وتقدم أن ناسا رجعوا عن دينهم بعدما كانوا على الحق لأنه لم تحمل قلوبهم وعقولهم ذلك فكذبوا بما لم يحيطوا بعلمه وجعل الله ذلك ثباتا ويقينا لآخرين ولهذا قال : ( إلا فتنة ) أي اختبارا وامتحانا وأما الشجرة الملعونة فهي شجرة الزقوم كما أخبرهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه رأى الجنة والنار ورأى شجرة الزقوم فكذبوا بذلك حتى قال أبو جهل لعنه الله [ بقوله هاتوا لنا تمرا وزبدا وجعل يأكل هذا بهذا ويقول تزقموا فلا نعلم الزقوم غير هذاحكى ذلك ابن عباس ومسروق وأبو مالك والحسن البصري وغير واحد وكل من قال إنها ليلة الإسراء فسره كذلك بشجرة الزقوموقد قيل المراد بالشجرة الملعونة بنو أمية وهو غريب ضعيفقال ابن جرير حدثت عن محمد بن الحسن بن زبالة حدثنا عبد المهيمن بن عباس بن سهل بن سعد حدثني أبي عن جدي قال رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بني فلان ينزون على منبره نزو القرود فساءه ذلك فما استجمع ضاحكا حتى مات قال وأنزل الله في ذلك ) وما جعلنا الرؤيا التي أريناك إلا فتنة للناس ) الآية .وهذا السند ضعيف جدا فإن محمد بن الحسن بن زبالة متروك وشيخه أيضا ضعيف بالكلية ولهذا اختار ابن جرير أن المراد بذلك ليلة الإسراء وأن الشجرة الملعونة هي شجرة الزقوم ، قال لإجماع الحجة من أهل التأويل على ذلك أي في الرؤيا والشجرةوقوله : ( ونخوفهم ) أي الكفار بالوعيد والعذاب والنكال ( فما يزيدهم إلا طغيانا كبيرا ) أي تماديا فيما هم فيه من الكفر والضلال وذلك من خذلان الله لهم